First published in serial form between 1935 and 1943, Young Pushkin was intended to be the opening volume of Yury Tynyanov's fictional life of the great Russian poet, and immediately achieved classic status in Russia. Sadly Tynyanov did not live to accomplish his full epic scheme, yet this book is a masterpiece on its own, a blend of encyclopedic knowledge and creative imagination that brings early 19th-century Russia to life. Amid Napoleonic invasion, rapid political change, and a gallery of fascinating characters (particularly Pushkin's unusual family, with its African blood stemming from his great-grandfather Abram Hannibal), the young poet emerges in his full vigor: explosive, unpredictable, totally absorbed, constantly scribbling verses, consorting with women twice his age, and living it up in the capital with hussars and actresses before being exiled for his reckless liberal verse. Tynyanov's novel not only captures Pushkin's impulsive, swift genius but also deftly foreshadows his place in Russian history. This first English translation includes notes, a family tree, and a selection of Pushkin's early poems.

"A sparkling jewel of an historical novel—sumptuous entertainment that compellingly re-creates a golden era, an eccentric family, and Russia's greatest poet in his wild and brilliant youth."—Simon Sebag Montefiore